VIDALIA — It’s official — the Concordia Parish Recreation District No. 3 now owns the land for the proposed new recreation complex.

The agreement to buy the land, a 20-acre tract in the Taconey area, was made several weeks ago, but the deal was closed Thursday.

“Basically, the next step is we have got to sign the lease agreement with the city (of Vidalia) and then proceed with the planning of the recreation center,” Recreation District No. 3 President Marc Archer said.

The City of Vidalia purchased 30 acres of land adjacent to the property now owned by the recreation district earlier this year, and the two entities have entered into an intergovernmental agreement in which the recreation district will lease the land from the city.

Even though the city owns the land, once the recreation district holds the lease it will develop the property as a part of the larger recreation complex.

The recreation district has already met with engineers to find out about infrastructure costs, and the engineers will present their findings to the board by mid-October, Archer said.

“Once we get some infrastructure costs, we are going to start planning for the facilities,” he said.

That planning includes having open hearings to get input from the public, Archer said.

However, just because they have the land doesn’t mean the recreation district can start construction immediately.

That is because the district has to get certain permits based on environmental impact and because the property is located near the levee, Archer said.

“If we started on this project and said ‘go’ tomorrow, it would probably take a year and a half to get started on the actual work,” he said.

The property was purchased at a cost of $17,000 an acre, making the recreation district’s total purchase total at $340,000. The recreation district is funded by a tax millage.

Vidalia purchased the adjoining property at the same rate, with their purchase costing $510,000. The city dedicated funds generated by property leases on the riverfront to for the land purchase.

The property is located near Wal-Mart, between U.S. 84 and the levee.